LIHU‘E — Not everyone on the island follows good business practices, especially in a declining economy, said Mel Rapozo, chairman of the newly formed Better Business Bureau Advisory Council on Kaua‘i and owner of M & P Legal Support Services.
LIHU‘E — Not everyone on the island follows good business practices, especially in a declining economy, said Mel Rapozo, chairman of the newly formed Better Business Bureau Advisory Council on Kaua‘i and owner of M & P Legal Support Services.
In an attempt to reach out to more consumers and businesses, the Kaua‘i BBB Advisory Council met for the first time Wednesday morning at Oki Diner in Lihu‘e. The BBB “saves a lot of people the headache and money” caused by scams and helps prevent “distasteful” and “substandard” habits, Rapozo said.
Hawai‘i’s BBB was established in 1945. By 2005 there were fewer than 10 accredited business — those which adhere and commit to BBB standards — on Kaua‘i. Currently, there are 151, which is well below the 2,200 to 2,600 businesses on island, said Hawai‘i’s BBB Chief Executive Officer Dwight Kealoha.
The BBB hasn’t had “much of a voice on Neighbor Islands,” said Midpac Auto Center Manager and BBB Advisory Council board member Russell Wong.
With some 700 businesses on Kaua‘i currently possessing reliability reports and 30 businesses scoring an “F” based on a performance grading scale, Wong said he would like the 464 consumer inquiries made in October to be closer to 1,000. In comparison, O‘ahu receives anywhere from 13,000 to 14,000 inquiries per month.
“I think Kaua‘i needs this … to go somewhere to find complaints,” said Lani’s and Boyd Upholstery Owner Lani Phillips.
Word of mouth has always been popular on Kaua‘i, Rapozo said, but the BBB helps reinforce business credibility for free.
“Complaints aren’t necessarily an end of things,” said A/V Kaua‘i Owner John Belliveau. “Complaints are to get things better.”
Acting as a mediator for businesses, the BBB helps maintain relationships and provides resources to resolve conflict which might occur, Kealoha said.
“We reach out to businesses proactively,” he said.
A business does not have to be accredited to benefit from the BBB’s resources, but it shows “a commitment to make a good faith effort to resolve any consumer complaints,” the Hawai‘i BBB Web site states.
“It gives a signal to consumers that you’re dedicated,” Kealoha said.
One of the newest members of Hawai‘i BBB is Aunty Lilikoi Products Owner Lori Cardenas.
Although she become accredited last year, Cardenas said it took about six months to complete the process.
“I had a lot of work to do,” she said, particularly pertaining to adjusting her Web site to meet accredited standards. “As a business owner, I wanted to make sure I was doing everything right and they helped me to do that.”
There are approximately 3,000 accredited businesses statewide. The top consumer inquiries for October included general contracting, roof contracting, pest control and wedding planners. The top categories for number of complaints in October include auto, vacation rentals, major appliance repair and property management, according to Wong.
“This puts consumers in the know,” Kealoha said. “It gives consumers an opportunity to find businesses trustworthy enough to spend money.”
Rapozo agreed.
“This is a tool … it’s powerful stuff.”
Fees for accreditation are based on a scale depending on number of employees and location of a business. For more information visit www.kauai.bbb.org.
• Coco Zickos, business and environmental writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 251) or czickos@kauaipubco.com.
